Geographical call routing for a non-emergency calling service

ABSTRACT

A communications system is provided for routing calls based on a location of a calling party. The communications system includes a processor that determines routing of a call placed by a calling party using one of a plurality of call origination devices. The call origination devices are operatively connected to a switching device that is operatively connected to the processor. The call is placed to a destination corresponding to a service having a service area. The switching device services calls placed from call origination devices located within the service area and calls placed from call origination devices located outside the service area. The processor determines whether the calling party is within the service area, and the processor instructs the switching device to route the call to the destination based upon the processor determining that the calling party is within the service area. The switching device routes the call to the destination only when the processor determines that the calling party is within the service area.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/977,697, filed on Oct. 16, 2001, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 09/207,275, filed on Dec. 8, 1998, now U.S.Pat. No. 6,330,324, issued Dec. 11, 2001, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Application No. 60/069,114 filed on Dec. 9, 1997, thecontents of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein intheir entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention generally relates to systems for routingtelephone calls to appropriate numbers. More particularly, the presentinvention relates to an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) based systemand methods for routing telephone calls based on the location of thecalling party.

ACRONYMS

[0003] The written description provided herein contains acronyms whichrefer to various communication services and system components. Althoughknown, use of several of these acronyms is not strictly standardized inthe art. For purposes of the written description herein, acronyms willbe defined as follows:

[0004] AIN—Advanced Intelligent Network

[0005] AMA—Automatic Message Accounting

[0006] CCIS—Common Channel Interoffice Signaling

[0007] CO—Central Office

[0008] CPN—Calling Party Number

[0009] CPR—Call Processing Record

[0010] DN—Dialed Number Trigger

[0011] DRS—Data Reporting System

[0012] EO—End Office (EO)

[0013] ISCP—Integrated Service Control Point

[0014] LSP—Local Service Provider

[0015] NPA—Number Plan Area, i.e., area code

[0016] NXX—Central Office Code

[0017] RTN—Routing Telephone Number

[0018] SCE—Service Creation Environment

[0019] SCP—Service Control Point

[0020] SCCP—Signaling Connection Control Part

[0021] SMS—Service Management System

[0022] SPC—Signaling Point Code

[0023] SS7—Signaling System 7

[0024] SSP—Service Switching Point

[0025] STP—Signaling Transfer Point

[0026] TAT—Terminating Attempt Trigger

[0027] TCAP—Transaction Capabilities Applications Protocol

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

[0028] In recent years, a number of new telephone service features havebeen provided by advanced intelligent communications networks such as anAdvanced Intelligent Network (AIN). The AIN evolved out of a need toincrease the capabilities of the telephone network architecture to meetthe growing needs of telephone service customers. The AIN architecturegenerally comprises two networks, a data messaging network and a trunkedcommunications network. The trunked communications network handles voiceand data communications between dispersed network locations, whereas thedata messaging network is provided for controlling operations of thetrunked communications network.

[0029] An illustration of the basic components of an AIN architecture isshown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, Central Offices (CO) 10-16 areprovided for sending and receiving data messages from an IntegratedService Control Point (ISCP) 20 via a Signaling Transfer Point (STP)30-34. The data messages are communicated to and from the COs 10-16 andthe ISCP 20 along a Common Channel Inter-Office Signaling (CCIS) network22. Each CO 10-16 serves as a network Service Switching Point (SSP) toroute telephone calls between a calling station (e.g., station 40) and acalled station (e.g., station 48) through the trunked communicationsnetwork 24-26. For more information regarding AIN, see Berman, Roger K.,and Brewster, John H., “Perspectives on the AIN Architecture,” IEEECommunications Magazine, February 1992, pp. 27-32, the disclosure ofwhich is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0030] While prior AIN or AIN-type intelligent network applications mayhave provided various features to subscribers and users, these priorapplications do not allow users to dial one telephone number and reach asingle point of contact for multiple services provided by a subscriber.Current systems and methods require users to identify one of manypossible numbers to call depending on the specific information orservice desired from the subscriber. This requires users to know thetelephone number of all departments or service groups of the subscriberthat they need information from.

[0031] Moreover, none of the current systems and methods allow a user todial an abbreviated telephone number to access services from asubscriber. Currently, the user must lookup, write down, or memorize afull seven or more digit number for each department or service groupthat they may need information from.

[0032] Therefore, a system and method is needed that allows users todial one telephone number and reach a single point of contact forinformation and services provided by a subscriber, and that provides anabbreviated telephone number that is easy to remember for accessing thesingle point of contact for services from the subscriber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0033] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a system andmethod for geographical call routing for a non-emergency calling servicethat substantially obviates one or more of the problems arising from thelimitations and disadvantages of the related art.

[0034] It is an object of the present invention to provide an AIN systemand method that routs calls to a non-emergency service based on thegeographical location of the caller.

[0035] It is also an object of the present invention to provide an AINsystem and method that allows users to dial one telephone number andreach a single point of contact for services provided by a subscriber.

[0036] It is a further object of the present invention to provide an AINsystem and method that allows users to dial an abbreviated telephonenumber that is easy to remember for accessing a single point of contactfor services from a subscriber.

[0037] Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is directed toan advanced intelligent communications system for routing telephonecalls based on the location of a calling party. The system includes: aplurality of call origination telephones; at least one switching deviceoperatively connected to at least one of the plurality of callorigination telephones, the at least one switching device servicingcalls placed by at least one calling party using one of the plurality ofcall origination telephones; a processor operatively connected to the atleast one switching device, the processor determining routing of thecalls placed by the at least one calling party; a storage deviceoperatively connected to the processor, the storage device containinglocation information related to the at least one calling party; and atleast one destination telephone operatively connected to at least one ofthe at least one switching device, wherein the processor sends routinginformation to the at least one switching device for routing calls toone of the at least one destination telephone and a terminatingannouncement, based on the location of the at least one calling party.

[0038] According to another aspect of the present invention, each atleast one switching device has an associated signaling point code thatis used by the processor to determine the location of the at least onecalling party relative to a defined service area.

[0039] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, thesignaling point code indicates whether the at least one switching deviceservices only calls within the defined service area.

[0040] According to a further aspect of the present invention, thesignaling point code indicates whether the at least one switching deviceservices calls both within the defined service area and outside of thedefined area.

[0041] According to another aspect of the present invention, eachsignaling point code that indicates whether the at least one switchingdevice services only calls within the defined service area, has anassociated call routing telephone number.

[0042] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, thestorage device contains information mapping the signaling point codes tothe associated call routing telephone number for the at least oneswitching device that services only calls within the defined servicearea.

[0043] According to a further aspect of the present invention, for thesignaling point codes that indicate the at least one switching devicedoes not service any calls within the defined service area, theprocessor sends routing information to the at least one switching deviceto route the call to the terminating announcement.

[0044] According to another aspect of the present invention, the storagedevice contains information indicating whether the signaling point codesrepresent switching devices that service telephones within the servicearea.

[0045] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, thestorage device contains information indicating whether the signalingpoint codes represent switching devices that service telephones both inthe service area and outside the service area.

[0046] According to a further aspect of the present invention, thestorage device contains information mapping telephone numbers of the atleast one calling party to associated zip codes.

[0047] According to another aspect of the present invention, the storagedevice contains information mapping the associated zip codes to callrouting telephone numbers.

[0048] According to yet another aspect of the present invention,information regarding the processing of the calls placed by the at leastone calling party is recorded.

[0049] According to a further aspect of the present invention, a reportgenerator generates reports based on the information recorded.

[0050] According to another aspect of the present invention, the callsplaced by the at least one calling party are to an abbreviated telephonenumber comprising three digits.

[0051] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, thecalls placed by the at least one calling party are to “1” plus anabbreviated telephone number comprising three digits.

[0052] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the callsplaced by the at least one calling party are to “0” plus an abbreviatedtelephone number comprising three digits.

[0053] According to another aspect of the present invention, the definedservice area comprises multiple service areas.

[0054] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the atleast one switch device comprises at least one of a 5ESS switch, a AXE10switch, a 1AESS switch, and a DMS100 switch.

[0055] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the atleast one switching device comprises an AIN switch.

[0056] According to another aspect of the present invention, the atleast one switching device comprises a non-AIN switch.

[0057] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the atleast one switching device is a host switching device that services atleast one remote terminal.

[0058] According to a further aspect of the present invention, thepresent invention includes a method for routing a call based on thelocation of the calling party number in an advanced intelligentcommunications system that includes: receiving a telephone call at aswitching point, the telephone call being from a calling party number toan abbreviated dialed number; determining if the abbreviated dialednumber is a triggering number; notifying a service control point ofreceipt of the telephone call by the switching point if the abbreviateddialed number is a triggering number; classifying the switching point;determining the location of the calling party number; determining theappropriate routing of the telephone call based on the location of thecalling party number; sending call routing information regarding thetelephone call to the switching point; and routing the telephone call toone of a destination number and a default announcement.

[0059] According to another aspect of the present invention, theabbreviated dialed number comprises three digits.

[0060] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, theabbreviated dialed number comprises ‘1’ plus three digits.

[0061] According to a further aspect of the present invention, theabbreviated dialed number comprises ‘0’ plus three digits.

[0062] According to another aspect of the present invention, theclassifying includes determining whether the switching point receivestelephone calls only from within a defined service area.

[0063] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, theclassifying includes determining whether the switching point receivestelephone calls from both within a defined service area and outside thedefined service area.

[0064] According to a further aspect of the present invention, thenotifying further comprises sending information related to the switchingpoint to the service control point.

[0065] According to another aspect of the present invention, thedetermining if the abbreviated dialed number is a triggering numberincludes comparing the information related to the switching point tolocation information.

[0066] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, thenotifying includes sending information related to the calling partynumber to the service control point.

[0067] According to a further aspect of the present invention, thedetermining of the location comprises comparing a zip code of thecalling party number to location information.

[0068] According to another aspect of the present invention, thedetermining of the location comprises determining the location of theservice switching point.

[0069] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, thedetermining of the appropriate routing comprises determining the zipcode of the location of the calling party number.

[0070] According to a further aspect of the present invention, therouting comprises routing the telephone call to the destination numberclosest to the calling party number.

[0071] According to another aspect of the present invention, the defaultannouncement recites a message and terminates the call.

[0072] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, thepresent invention includes an advanced intelligent communications systemfor routing telephone calls based on the location of a calling partythat includes: calling means for originating a telephone call; switchingmeans operatively connected to the calling means, the switching meansservicing calls placed by a calling party using the calling means;processor means operatively connected to the switching means, theprocessor means determining routing of the calls placed by the callingparty; storage means operatively connected to the processor means, thestorage means containing location information related to the callingparty; and at least one destination site operatively connected to atleast one of the switching means, wherein the processor means sendsrouting information to the switching means for routing calls to one ofthe at least one destination site and a terminating announcement, basedon the location of the calling party.

[0073] According to a further aspect of the present invention, theswitching means has an associated signaling point code that is used bythe processor means to determine the location of the calling party.

[0074] According to another aspect of the present invention, thesignaling point code indicates whether the switching means services onlycalls from within a defined service area.

[0075] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, thesignaling point code indicates whether the switching means servicescalls from both within the defined service area and from outside of thedefined area.

[0076] According to a further aspect of the present invention, eachsignaling point code that indicates whether the switching means servicesonly calls from within a defined service area, has an associated callrouting telephone number.

[0077] According to another aspect of the present invention, the storagemeans contains information mapping the signaling point codes to theassociated call routing telephone number for the switching means thatservices only calls from within the defined service area.

[0078] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, for thesignaling point codes that indicate the switching means does not serviceany calls from within the defined service area, the processor meanssends routing information to the switching means to route the call tothe terminating announcement.

[0079] According to a further aspect of the present invention, thestorage means contains information indicating whether the signalingpoint codes represent switching means that service calls from within theservice area.

[0080] According to another aspect of the present invention, the storagemeans contains information indicating whether the signaling point codesrepresent switching means that service calls from both within theservice area and outside the service area.

[0081] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, thestorage means contains information mapping telephone numbers of thecalling party to associated zip codes.

[0082] According to a further aspect of the present invention, thestorage means contains information mapping the associated zip codes tocall routing telephone numbers.

[0083] According to another aspect of the present invention, informationregarding the processing of the calls placed by the at least one callingparty is recorded.

[0084] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, theinvention includes means for generating reports based on the informationrecorded.

[0085] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the callsplaced by the calling party are to an abbreviated telephone numbercomprising three digits.

[0086] According to another aspect of the present invention, the callsplaced by the calling party are to an abbreviated telephone numbercomprising “1” plus three additional digits.

[0087] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, thecalls placed by the calling party are to an abbreviated telephone numbercomprising “0” plus three additional digits.

[0088] According to a further aspect of the present invention, thepresent invention includes an advanced intelligent communications systemfor routing a call based on the location of the calling party numberthat includes: receiving means for receiving a telephone call at aswitching point, the telephone call being from a calling party number toan abbreviated dialed number; determining means for determining if theabbreviated dialed number is a triggering number; notifying means fornotifying a service control point of receipt of the telephone call bythe switching point if the abbreviated dialed number is a triggeringnumber; classifying means for classifying the switching point; seconddetermining means for determining the location of the calling partynumber; third determining means for determining the appropriate routingof the telephone call based on the location of the calling party number;sending means for sending call routing information regarding thetelephone call to the switching point; and routing means for routing thetelephone call to one of a destination number and a defaultannouncement.

[0089] According to another aspect of the present invention, theabbreviated dialed number includes a telephone number that comprisesthree digits.

[0090] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, theabbreviated dialed number comprises a telephone number that comprises‘1’ plus three additional digits.

[0091] According to a further aspect of the present invention, theabbreviated dialed number includes a telephone number that comprises ‘0’plus three additional digits.

[0092] According to another aspect of the present invention, theclassifying means determines whether the switching point receivestelephone calls only from within a defined service area.

[0093] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, theclassifying means determines whether the switching point receivestelephone calls from both within a defined service area and outside thedefined service area.

[0094] According to a further aspect of the present invention, thenotifying means further sends information related to the switching pointto the service control point.

[0095] According to another aspect of the present invention, the firstdetermining means further compares the information related to theswitching point to location information.

[0096] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, thenotifying means further sends information related to the calling partynumber to the service control point.

[0097] According to a further aspect of the present invention, thesecond determining means compares a zip code of the calling party numberto location information.

[0098] According to another aspect of the present invention, the seconddetermining means determines the location of the service switchingpoint.

[0099] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, thethird determining means determines the zip code of the location of thecalling party number.

[0100] According to a further aspect of the present invention, therouting means routes the telephone call to the destination numberclosest to the calling party number.

[0101] According to another aspect of the present invention, the defaultannouncement recites a message and terminates the call.

[0102] Additional features and advantages of the present invention willbe set forth in the description to follow, or may be learned by practiceof the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the inventionwill be realized and attained by the methods particularly pointed out inthe written description and claims hereof together with the appendeddrawings.

[0103] It is to be understood that both the foregoing generaldescription and the following detailed description are exemplary andexplanatory, and are intended to provide further examples and anexplanation of the invention as claimed.

[0104] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrating one embodiment of theinvention. The drawings, together with the description, serve to explainthe principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0105] The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and notby way of limitation, by the figures of the accompanying drawings inwhich like reference numerals refer to similar elements, and in which:

[0106]FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an exemplary prior art AIN system;

[0107]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an AIN geographical call routingfor a non-emergency calling service according to the present invention;

[0108]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an Integrated Service Control Pointaccording to the present invention;

[0109]FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of geographical call routing for anon-emergency calling service according to the present invention;

[0110]FIG. 5 is an exemplary Single Point Code Table according to thepresent invention;

[0111]FIG. 6 is an exemplary Zip Code to Routing Telephone Number tableaccording to the present invention;

[0112]FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an AIN geographical call routing fora non-emergency calling service with multiple service areas according tothe present invention;

[0113]FIG. 8 shows an exemplary multiple service area SPC tableaccording to the present invention;

[0114]FIG. 9 is an exemplary table showing switch specific defaultannouncement translations;

[0115]FIG. 10 is an exemplary table showing POTS and coin calldisposition according to the present invention.

[0116]FIG. 11 shows an exemplary AMA record;

[0117]FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of the geographical call routing for anon-emergency calling service with DRS according to the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0118] The particulars shown herein are by way of example and forpurposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the presentinvention only and are presented in the cause of providing what isbelieved to be the most useful and readily understood description of theprinciples and conceptual aspects of the present invention. In thisregard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the presentinvention in more detail than is necessary for the fundamentalunderstanding of the present invention, the description taken with thedrawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the severalforms of the present invention may be embodied in practice.

[0119] Many telephone services may be provided using an AIN or AIN-typenetwork for centralized control of telephone services offered tosubscribers, as opposed to localized control of services at the CentralOffice (CO). An AIN system is provided through interaction betweenswitching points and other systems supporting AIN logic.

[0120] 1. AIN Network

[0121] The geographical call routing for a non-emergency call serviceaccording to the present invention may be implemented using AIN Release0.1 protocols and advanced intelligent network capabilities which areprovided by a telephone company, i.e., programmable service controlpoints (SCPs), central offices equipped with AIN service switching point(SSP) features, and existing Common Channel Interoffice Signaling (CCIS)networks. The Signaling System 7 (SS7) network is a widely used CCISnetwork that provides two-way communication of Transaction CapabilitiesApplication Protocol (TCAP) formatted data messages between the SCP andthe STP. The telephone network essentially employs an upper-levelsoftware network through the STPs and the SCP. The software resides overthe hardware to check the call route and the availability of connectionprior to hardware connection.

[0122]FIG. 2 illustrates a general block diagram of an AdvancedIntelligent Network (AIN) in which a system and method for geographicalcall routing for a non-emergency calling service is embodied inaccordance with the present invention. In FIG. 2, local telephone lines114 connect a plurality of individual locations 72-94 in each geographicarea to the closest Central Office (CO), or End Office (EO) whichcontains Service Switching Points 60-70. An End Office is a CentralOffice that is connected to the telephone equipment of a user. In FIG.2, each CO is shown as a Service Switching Point (SSP) 60-70.

[0123] The SSPs may include, but are not limited to, 5ESS, AXE10, 1AESS,and DMS-100 switches. If 5ESS switches are utilized, then these switchesshould be equipped with generic 5E9 (or higher) and provided with thenecessary trigger requirements (discussed below) in order to servesubscribers. Any 1AESS switches should be equipped with generic 1AE12.06(or higher) and provided the necessary trigger requirements in order toserve subscribers. For DMS switches, DMS release (NA008), and thenecessary trigger features should be provided. The correspondingsoftware release for the ISCP is Release (5.0). For AXE10 switches, AXE10 8.0 and the necessary trigger features should be provided. Futuresoftware releases on these network elements should not impact theservice.

[0124] For purposes of illustration, only six SSPs are shown in FIG. 2.However, more (or less) than six SSPs may be utilized. The SSPs 60-70are programmable switches which: recognize AIN-type calls; launchqueries to an Integrated Service Control Point (ISCP) 110; and, receivecommands and data from the ISCP 110 to further process and routeAIN-type calls. The SSPs 60-70 are connected by trunked communicationlines 120 which are used to connect and carry telecommunication signals,e.g., voice and/or data, from a calling party to a called party. Whenone of the SSPs 60-70 is triggered by an AIN-type call, the SSPformulates an AIN service request and responds to call processinginstructions from the network element in which the AIN service logicresides. A trigger event is the combination of the occurrence of receiptof a call, and the called telephone number satisfying the triggercriteria administered in the SSP, which invokes AIN or switch-basedfeature involvement in an originating or terminating call. A triggeroccurs when the SSP determines that it must query the ISCP to continueprocessing a call. Triggers can occur from both the originating andterminating telephone numbers. The AIN service logic may reside in adatabase at ISCP 110. A Call Processing Record (CPR) is a graphicalrepresentation of service logic. The CPR shows the flow of decisions andactions that are made as a call is processed.

[0125] In FIG. 2, the SSPs 60-70 are equipped with Common ChannelInter-Office Signaling (CCIS) capabilities (or, alternatively, CommonChannel Signaling (CCS)), e.g., Signaling System 7 (SS7), which providesfor two-way communications of data messages between each SSP 60-70 andthe ISCP 110 via SS7 links 116. The data messages are formatted inaccordance with the Transaction Capabilities Applications Protocol(TCAP). As shown in FIG. 2, SSPs 60-70 are connected to SignalingTransfer Points (STPs) 100-104 by SS7 links 116. The connections bylinks 116 to the STPs are for signaling purposes, and allow the SSPs tosend and receive messages to and from the ISCP 110. Each of the STPs canbe connected to a number of other STPs. For purposes of illustration inFIG. 2, SS7 links 116 are shown as connecting STPs 100 and 102 to aregional STP 104 and connecting the regional STP 104 to ISCP 110.

[0126]FIG. 3 shows an ISCP 110 that may include a Service ManagementSystem (SMS) 118, a Data and Reports System (DRS) 120, a programmableService Control Point (SCP) 122, and a Service Creation Environment(SCE) 124. The SCE 124 is a terminal that may be implemented to workwith SMS 118 to create, modify, and load services into a database in theSCP 122. The SCP 122 executes software-based service logic and returnscall routing instructions to the SSPs. The SMS 118 and DRS 120 may beprovided for compiling calling information to be used for billing andadministrative purposes. By way of example, ISCP 110 may be implementedwith the Bellcore Integrated Service Control Point (ISCP), loaded withISCP software Version 3.4, available from Bell Telephone Laboratories,Inc., Murray Hill, N.J.

[0127] In a typical AIN-type system, when a non-AIN telephone call isinitiated from, for example, party A at location 88 in FIG. 2, the callis directed to the end office 68 serving the calling location 88. Whileeach of the end offices 60-70 may not be AIN-type SSPs, they are SS7SSPs, and, therefore, part of the software data network. When the endoffice 68 receives the originating call, the call is suspended and thesoftware network takes over the routing and connecting of the call.Normal call processing begins when an originating station 88 is off-hookand the end office 68 receives dialed digits (the telephone number ofthe party at station 88) from the originating station. End office 68analyzes the digits and determines the call type, i.e., intraswitch orinterswitch. An intraswitch call, i.e., a local call, directly connectscalling station 88 with called station 90 without any querying outsideof end office 68, that serves both stations.

[0128] When the called station, for example, a party at station 82, isnot served by the same end office as originating station 88, furtherprocessing may be necessary. In this situation, and assuming an entireSS7 network, the originating call from station 88 is suspended at theend office 68, which further sends a query message through one or moreof the STPs 100 and 102, and/or regional STP 104 to ISCP 110 to offertermination of the call. The query message is routed to terminating endoffice 64, the end office serving called station 82. If station 82 isoff-hook, i.e., busy, terminating end office 64 responds to the queryfrom end office 68 that the call cannot be connected, and a busy signalis transmitted to calling station 88. If station 82 is on-hook, endoffice 64 responds to the query of originating end office 68 bytransmitting a ringback signal to calling station 88, which is thenserially connected through the trunked communication lines 120 to endoffice 64 and from end office 64 to called station 82.

[0129] Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) call processing differs fromstandard telephone call processing in that a query to a centralizeddatabase or service logic, e.g., ISCP 110, is triggered by an AINapplication. In AIN-type call processing, an SSP is responsible foridentifying calls associated with AIN services, detecting whenconditions for AIN service involvement are met, formulating servicerequests for call processing instructions, and responding to theinstructions received. As with normal call processing, when the call issuspended at the calling party's end office, this end office may send adata message, via the SS7 links 116, to the STPs to establish the callroute. AIN services are created by assigning appropriate SSP callsuspension points, known as AIN “triggers”, accessed via customer linesor telephone numbers, and accessing customer or service-specific logicin the ISCP 110. A Dialed Number (DN) Trigger is an AIN 0, office-based,originating trigger which invokes AIN features when the trigger criteriaare met. Trigger criteria are met when a call is placed to thedesignated NPA codes, NPA-NXX codes or NPA-NXX-XXXX codes. Ideally, AINservice should be triggered at the earliest possible point in the call,i.e., at the originating CO, however, service providers may only be ableto provision the network with AIN triggers residing in the COs servingthe subscribing customer or at an intermediate point on one of theconnecting trunks. The SSPs launching the AIN queries are SSPs 60-66,because SSPs 68 and 70 do not service any telephones within the servicearea. Thus, if an originating call through SSP 60 encounters an AINtrigger, i.e., a call requiring AIN service involvement, the SSP 60suspends call processing, then queries the ISCP 110 through the STPs 100and 104 over the SS7 links 116.

[0130] The ISCP 110 executes software based service logic programsstored in the SCP 122 to perform subscriber functions, and returns aresponse to the originating end office with call routing instructions.The AIN service application may be stored in SCP 122, or another elementcontaining or consisting of an ISCP database. New services may becreated by assigning appropriate SSP AIN triggers to customer lines ortelephone numbers to access customer and/or service-specific logic inISCP 110. The SS7 message routing should be devised to minimize the needfor data administration at the local and regional STPs.

[0131] When ISCP 110 receives a query, the intelligent network screeningservice logic will be executed. Call data may be collected and recordedin DRS 120. For example, the ISCP 110 may contain resident servicesoftware that collects the calling (originating) telephone number,called (terminating) telephone number, the date, and the time of eachquery to the ISCP 110. A call processing record (CPR) that is storedwithin SCP 122, may also be provided. The CPR may contain the servicelogic for network screening and call routing.

[0132] The ISCP service logic must have detailed knowledge of trunkgroup identifiers, route index numbers, and individual SSPs in order toservice a customer. This information may be obtained during a serviceorder process and may require that translation groups be consulted tocomplete such service order/provisioning information.

[0133] 2. Geographical Call Routing For A Non-emergency Calling ServiceSystem

[0134] An embodiment of the geographical call routing for anon-emergency calling service system according to the present inventionthat will be used for illustration is a geographical call routing for anon-emergency calling service system provided by a city to itsresidents. In the system, a caller may place a call to a non-emergencyabbreviated telephone number to get information regarding cityresources, activities, or services, etc.. The abbreviated number may bethree digits, such as 311, or “1” or “0” plus three digits; e.g. 1 311or 0 311. The caller, or user, dials the 311 number to get answers toquestions regarding information or services. Normally, the user wouldhave to dial the number for the specific service, or the number for theoffice handling questions related to the information desired.

[0135] The non-emergency call routing system service is provided by atelephone service provider. The telephone service provider may or maynot be the local telephone service provider of the subscriber to theservice. In the above example, the city is a subscriber to the AIN-basedgeographical call routing system. A resident of the city is a user ofthe subscriber services provided by the system. If a user desiredinformation regarding a city service, the user would normally call thetelephone number associated with the department or agency that hasinformation for that service. The present invention provides the userwith the ability to dial only a single abbreviated telephone number toaccess information for all services provided by the subscriber.

[0136] Since only a single telephone number is used for informationregarding all services, the frequency of calls to this number will begreater than if several telephone numbers, one for each department, isused. The present invention takes calls made to the abbreviated numberand routes them to one of one or more destinations based on the locationof the calling party. The location of the calling party is determinedrelative to a defined service area where the subscriber provides theabbreviated non-emergency call routing services. Only calls from userswithin this service area will be routed to one of the destinations thatanswer calls made to the non-emergency number. The location of the SSPthat services the originating call from the calling party is used todetermine routing of the call. The calling party number (CPN) is alsoused to determine how to route the call when the SSP location is notsufficient.

[0137]FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the geographical non-emergency callrouting system according to the present invention. A telephone call tothe 311 number is received at a SSP (S2) that services calls for the CPNthat placed the call. An AIN trigger is generated (S4) for calls placedto telephone numbers having digits 311, 1+311, or 0+311. Informationrelated to the call is sent to ISCP 110 from the SSP. The SSP will sendinformation related to both the calling party, and the SSP. Thisinformation will include the CPN, as well as a Signaling Point Code(SPC). A SPC is associated with each SSP that services telephone numbersin the service area. The SPC relates to the location of the SSP. The SPCalso identifies whether the SSP services only telephone numbers withinthe service area, or whether the SSP services telephone numbers both inthe service area, and outside of the service area. ISCP 110 uses the SPCin determining the routing of the call.

[0138] ISCP 110 will determine if the SPC is contained in a SPC tablecontained in ISCP 110 (S6). The SPC table maps each SPC to a RoutingTelephone Number (RTN). The subscriber to the non-emergency call routingsystem may provide this mapping to the service provider. FIG. 5 is anexemplary SPC Table according to the present invention. The first columnof FIG. 5 contains the SPC values identifying the SSPs. Column two ofFIG. 5 shows a descriptive field designating what municipality, region,or area the SSP services based on the SPC. In the exemplary table inFIG. 5, the region represents a city where the last character in theregion field represents the state that the city is located in. The thirdcolumn has a SPLIT variable that indicates whether the associated SSPservices only telephone numbers that are within the service area, orservices both telephone numbers within the service area and telephonenumbers outside of the service area. If the SSP only services telephonenumbers that are within the service area, the SPLIT variable will be“N”. If the SSP services both telephone numbers within the service areaand telephone numbers outside of the service area, the SPLIT variablewill be “Y”.

[0139] If the SPC, of the SSP that received the call, is not containedin the SPC table, the call is routed to a default announcement andterminated. Generally, the SPC of the SSP will not be in the SPC tableif the SSP only services telephones located outside of the definedservice area. SSP 68 and SSP 70 in FIG. 2 are examples of SSPs that donot service any telephone numbers within the defined service, area. Theservice area is defined in FIG. 2 by thick solid lines forming a square.Therefore, a calling party from outside of the service area, for exampleoutside of the city limits, would not have access to the servicesprovided by the subscriber city or municipality.

[0140] If the SPC is in the SPC table, and indicates that the telephonesserviced by the SSP are all within the service area, service logic inISCP 110 will identify the routing telephone number (RTN) associatedwith the SPC of the SSP as shown in FIG. 5. The service logic will sendthis routing information to the SSP, and the SSP will route the callaccordingly. Column 5 of FIG. 5 shows an associated customer billingnumber for each RTN. The billing number is a telephone number related tothe subscriber of the geographical non-emergency call routing service.This number is printed on billing information sent to the subscriber.

[0141] If the SPC indicates that the SSP is divided, or split (S8), i.e.the SSP services telephones both in the service area, and telephonesoutside of the service area, the ISCP service logic performs additionalprocessing to determine the appropriate routing of the call. The servicelogic verifies that a ten digit CPN has been received from the SSP(S12). If a ten digit CPN has not been received, the ISCP will sendrouting information to the SSP to route the call to a defaultannouncement and terminate the call (S24).

[0142] However, if a ten digit CPN has been received, the service logicwill attempt to identify a zip code associated with the CPN (S14). Thiscan be accomplished many ways. For example, a list of CPNs andassociated zip codes may be contained in a database. The service logicwould then send the CPN to the database to retrieve the associated zipcode. The service logic may also, however, use a lookup table thatcontains a list of CPNs and their associated zip codes. Zip codes mayvary in length from 5 digit zip codes to more than five digits.

[0143] If no zip code is found for the CPN (S16), the service logic willcause the ISCP to send routing information to the SSP (S27) directingthe SSP to route the call to a default announcement and disconnect thecall (S24). If a zip code match is found for the CPN (S16), the servicelogic then determines the associated RTN for the zip code (S18). ISCP110 will contain information such as that shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is anexemplary Zip Code Routing table that lists zip codes and theirassociated routing telephone numbers. If an associated routing telephonenumber is not found, the service logic will cause the ISCP to sendrouting information to the SSP (S27) directing the SSP to route the callto a default announcement and disconnect the call (S24). If anassociated routing telephone number is found, ISCP 110 would sendrouting information to the SSP that contains the associated RTN (S26).

[0144] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, once the SSP receives the routingdirections from ISCP 110, the SSP will either route the call to theappropriate routing telephone number for the calling party number (S28),or route the call to a default announcement and disconnect the call(S24).

[0145] The geographical call routing for a non-emergency call servicesystem according to the present invention may also be implemented formultiple service areas. For example, it is possible for severaldifferent areas to provide the non-emergency calling service for theirresidents.

[0146]FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present inventionwhere the non-emergency call routing system has multiple service areas(denoted by the thick black rectangles). In this embodiment, thegeographical call routing for a non-emergency call service according tothe present invention still determines the appropriate routing of thecall based on the geographical location of the calling party. A 311 callfrom a calling party will be routed to the appropriate destination orrouting telephone number based on which service area the calling partynumber is located in or serviced by, and by the location of the callingparty relative to the service area. The SPC of each SSP defines thelocation of the SSP, and which service area the SSP services. If the SSPservices telephones both within one service area, and telephones withinanother service area or no service area, then the associated zip code ofthe calling party number will be used to determine the routing of thecall. If the zip code is not in the zip code routing table, then thecall will be routed to a default announcement.

[0147] Four separate geographical areas, each one denoted by the thickbox-shaped outlines, and the labels DALLAST, TULSAO, STLOUISM, andKANSASCM are shown in FIG. 7. STPs. 202-208 are connected to ISCP 220through STP 210. Connections between SSPs and STPs (e.g. SS7 links 116),and SSPs and calling party telephones (e.g. local telephone lines 114)are the same as shown in FIG. 2 discussed previously. In FIG. 7, onlyone STP is shown in each geographical area, however, there may bemultiple STPs in each area, and more SSPs and calling party telephonesthan shown, and still be within the spirit and scope of the presentinvention. ISCP 220 contains the SPC values for all SSPs that servicecalls from all service areas that subscribe to the geographicalnon-emergency calling service system. The ISCP also contains all callrouting telephone numbers associated with each service area.

[0148] For example, calls placed by a calling party at stations 260,262, or 270 to the non-emergency number calling service would be routedto a default announcement and terminated because these stations are notwithin the STLOUISM service area, or any other service area. The SPC ofSSP 242 will not have an associated call routing telephone number.

[0149] Calls placed by a calling party at stations 264 or 266 will causea trigger in SSP 244. Since SSP 244 services calls only from stationswithin the STLOUISM service area, the SPC of SSP 244 will likely have anassociated routing telephone number for the STLOUISM service area. Therouting telephone number for the SPC of SSP 244 will be sent to SSP 244,and the calls routed accordingly.

[0150] Calls placed by stations 268 and 270 will cause a trigger in SSP246. The SPC of SSP 246 will be SPLIT since SSP 246 services stationsboth within the STLOUISM service area and stations outside of theSTLOUISM service area. For calls to the non-emergency number placed atstations 268 and 270, the calling party number will be sent to the ISCPto find an associated zip code. If the zip code is not found, the callwill be routed to a default announcement and terminated. If a zip codeis found, the associated routing telephone number will be sent to SSP246, and the call routed accordingly. Since station 268 is within theSTLOUISM service area, the SPC of station 268 will likely have anassociated zip code in ISCP 220 with an associated routing telephonenumber. Conversely, since station 270 is not within the STLOUISM servicearea, the SPC of station 270 will likely not have an associated routingtelephone number.

[0151] An exemplary routing table with SPCs and associated routingtelephone numbers for multiple service areas is shown in FIG. 8. In thisexample, call routing numbers for the four different service areas,denoted by DALLAST, STLOUISM, TULSAO, and KANSASCM, are shown. Thistable is similar to that shown in FIG. 5 discussed previously, exceptFIG. 5 only related to a single service area. The SPC Table in FIG. 8 isfor a system that services multiple service areas, as shown by thedifferent regions that represent different cities. The last character inthe region field represents the state that the city is located. As shownin FIG. 8, there can be different SPCs for the same service area, andalso different routing telephone numbers for calls from the same servicearea. The term “BLANK” means that there is no information for thisentry.

[0152] 3. Trigger Requirements

[0153] The present invention may be implemented with, for example: 5ESS,AXE10, 1AESS, and/or DMS-100 switches. A trigger will be set against thedigits 311, 1+311, and 0+311 in the SSP switches. The 311 trigger shouldbe activated only in those SSPs that serve telephone numbers locatedwithin the service area. If a trigger is generated, a query is launchedto the ISCP 110. The 311 digits will be translated into ten-digitnumbers in each of these switches.

[0154] The non-emergency 311 service may be used by telephones that areserviced by non-AIN equipped switches. In these cases, in order toprovide the 311 service, it will be necessary to route 311 calls to anearby compatible 5ESS, AXE10, 1AESS, or DMS-100 SSP. Once the 311number is received by one of these SSPs, a trigger will be generated,and the call processed accordingly.

[0155] For the terminating announcement, AIN Announcement ID #99 istranslated in each 311 participating SSP according to the switchspecific features as shown in FIG. 9. The announcement may be recordedand installed in any SSP that is part of the non-emergency callingservice system. The terminating announcement is not limited to AINAnnouncement ID #99, but may be any message desired, recorded, andinstalled for the terminating announcement.

[0156] a. 5ESS switch types

[0157] For a non-emergency 311 number served by a 5ESS switch, a N11trigger is encountered and an Info_Analyzed query message is generatedwith a trigger criteria type of N11. The trigger on the 5ESS switch is a10-digit trigger. The trigger may be based upon AIN Release 0.1 protocoland may preferably require that AIN Release 0.1 query call variables beconverted into common call variables by a CPR (Calling Party Record) inthe ISCP 110. If the 5ESS switch is utilized, then these switches shouldbe equipped with Generic 5E9.1 (or higher) and provided with thenecessary trigger requirements in order to serve subscribers.

[0158] b. 1AESS switch types

[0159] For a non-emergency 311 number served by a 1AESS switch, a NPA(3/6/10) trigger is encountered and an Info_Analyzed query message isgenerated with a trigger criteria type of NPA. The trigger on the 1AESSswitch may be a dialed line number (DN) trigger based upon a 10 digitvirtual number. The trigger may be based upon the AIN Release 0.1protocol and may preferably require AIN Release 0.1 query call variablesto be converted into common call variables by a CPR in the ISCP 110.Further, if 1AESS switches are employed, they should preferably beequipped with Generic 1AE12.03 (or higher) and provided with thenecessary trigger requirements in order to serve subscribers.

[0160] c. DMS-100 switch types

[0161] For a non-emergency 311 number served by a DMS switch, a NPA(3/6/10) trigger is encountered and an Info_Analyzed query message isgenerated with a trigger criteria type of NPA. The trigger of theDMS-100 switch may utilize a termination attempt trigger (TAT) basedupon the AIN Release 0.1 protocol and may preferably require AIN Release0.1 query call variables to be converted into common call variables by aCPR in the ISCP 110. A TAT is a subscribed trigger that is assigned to atelephone number. AIN features are invoked because of an attempt toterminate a call on the dialed number which subscribes to this trigger.These were first available in AIN 0.1. If DMS-100 switches are used, DMSrelease NA008 (or higher) should preferably be provided.

[0162] d. AXE 10 switch types

[0163] For a non-emergency 311 number served by a AXE 10 switch, a N11trigger is encountered and an Info_Analyzed query message is generatedwith a trigger criteria type of N11. If AXE 10 switches are used, AXE 108.0 (or higher) should preferably be provided.

[0164] 4. Non-AIN switches

[0165] In the non-emergency call routing system according to the presentinvention, switches that are not equipped for AIN can be used. Thenon-AIN switch is assigned an SSP (Hub SSP) that is AIN equipped, andpart of the non-emergency call routing system. If a call to thenon-emergency call routing service is received by the non-AIN switch,and the non-AIN switch services telephones that the non-emergency callrouting system is providing service for, the call will be routed fromthe non-AIN switch to the Hub SSP. A trigger will then be generated, andthe call processed the same as calls placed to AIN SSPs used in thenon-emergency call routing system. The non-AIN switch should be assignedto an AIN Hub SSP with the same type non-emergency number routing tableinformation in the ISCP.

[0166] The call processing of 311 calls to a non-AIN switch isdetermined based on the locations of both the non-AIN switch, and theHub SSP. If both the non-AIN switch and the Hub SSP are entirely withinthe service area, the SPLIT variable will be “N”, and only the SPC Tablewill be accessed to determine the appropriate routing of the call.However, if either the non-AIN switch or the Hub SSP are outside of theservice area, the SPLIT variable will be “Y”, and the ZIP Code Routingtable will be used to determine the appropriate routing of the call.

[0167] 5. Hosts/Remotes

[0168] The non-emergency call routing system according to the presentinvention can have host SSPs that service remote terminals. Remoteterminals are line termination points that service one or moretelephones. The remote terminals, however, are “dumb” terminals with noprogramming or processing means. Interoffice calls placed fromtelephones serviced by remote terminals are always routed to a host SSP.The host SSP then processes the call to determine the appropriaterouting of the call. Remote terminals are not connected to trunk lines,and cannot route interoffice calls. Interoffice calls placed by atelephone number to another telephone number serviced by a remoteterminal are always routed to the host SSP that services the remoteterminal, and then from the host SSP to the destination end office.

[0169] Calls from telephones serviced by remote terminals to the 311non-emergency number are processed similar to the way calls areprocessed for 311 calls to non-AIN SSPs. The call processing of 311calls from a remote terminal is determined based on the locations ofboth the remote terminal, and the host SSP. If both the remote terminaland the host SSP are entirely within the service area, the SPLITvariable will be “N”, and only the SPC Table will be accessed todetermine the appropriate routing of the call. If, however, either theremote terminal or the host SSP are outside of the service area, theSPLIT variable will be “Y”, and the ZIP Code Routing table will be usedto determine the appropriate routing of the call.

[0170] 6. Local Service Providers

[0171] A subscriber who subscribes to the non-emergency call routingsystem, provided by a service provider, may desire to provide thenon-emergency call routing service to users in an area that hastelephone service provided by a telephone service provider (such as alocal service provider) that is different from the provider thatprovides the non-emergency call routing system services. In this case,the local service provider (LSP) may provide service to some portion ofthe service area where the non-emergency call routing service isprovided.

[0172] The local service provider may handle the non-emergency call byrouting the call from a calling party to a routing telephone number, orthe local service provider may route the non-emergency call to an SSP ofthe non-emergency call routing service provider where a trigger will begenerated. If the LSP handles the non-emergency call, the LSP will havea database or some other means for mapping the calling party number toan associated telephone number for routing of the call, defined by thesubscriber. If the calling party number does not have an associated callrouting number, the LSP will route the call to a default announcementand terminate the call. If the LSP does not choose to handle callsplaced to the non-emergency call routing service, all calls received bythe LSP that have been placed to the non-emergency telephone number willbe routed to an SSP that is part of the system of the service providerproviding the non-emergency call routing services. In this case, atrigger will be generated and the call routed like other non-emergencycalls received by the system.

[0173] 7. POTS and Coin Call Dispositions

[0174]FIG. 10 shows the call disposition based on the type of switch,the number dialed, and whether the call is placed from a Plain OldTelephone System (POTS), or from a coin telephone. The left most columnlists the types of switches. The two columns to the right of this showwhether a coin deposit is required, and whether the coin will bereturned after it has been deposited. The next three columns representthe telephone number digits dialed that may initiate a trigger accordingto the non-emergency calling system of the present invention.

[0175] 8. Usage monitoring and billing

[0176] The geographical call routing for a non-emergency calling servicesystem according to the present invention monitors usage of thenon-emergency calling service network. A distributed network function(in the SSPs) measures usage of the network and produces AutomaticMessage Accounting (AMA) records containing usage information. Thisinformation is used to obtain a count of completed calls to each 311subscriber. This allows each subscriber to be billed on a number ofcompleted calls basis. However, this information may be used for otherpurposes, and/or the subscriber billed based on different criteriarelated to the service, and still be within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

[0177] An AMA record is created in the SSP for each call made to thenon-emergency number. The ISCP sends, to each SSP, information informingthe SSP whether to create an AMA record for the call, and if so, theappropriate AMA parameters needed for the SSP to create the AMA record.This may include, among other items, a slip id (SLPID), as shown inTable 1 below, that tells the switch type, and the AMA originatingnumber. The SLPID is then made part of the AMA record. An exemplary AMArecord is shown in FIG. 11. The first column in the AMA record shown inFIG. 11 is the title of the information collected. The second column isused to refer to tables that may reside in the ISCP if a table structureis used to collect this information. The third column is the informationcollected, and the fourth column contains any comments or additionalinformation related to the information in column three. This informationmay be used for a variety of purposes, such as identifying high usageSSPs, or for billing the subscriber for the service. TABLE 1 AMAOriginating Number Switch Type NPA Number 1AESS & AXE 311 0000000 5ESS000 3110000 DMS 000 0000311

[0178] In accordance with the present invention and as discussedpreviously, a billing telephone number may be associated with eachrouting telephone number. For each routing number associated with a SPCof an SSP, there may be an associated billing number. Also, when the SPCindicates SPLIT, for each zip code that has an associated call routingtelephone number, an associated billing telephone number may exist.Therefore, when the ISCP receives the SPC and the CPN from the SSP todetermine routing of the call, both the routing telephone number and thebilling telephone number may be obtained simultaneously.

[0179] 9. Data and Reports System

[0180] The ISCP in the geographical call routing for a non-emergencycalling system according to the present invention passes callinformation to a Data and Reports System (DRS). The DRS stores callinformation related to calls to the non-emergency calling servicesystem. For example, the DRS may store information related to: anoccurrence of an event, the flow of decisions and actions that are madeas a call is processed, the time of a call, the date of a call, and thecalling party number. This information may be used to generate reportsor billing information for the service provider. The information inthese reports may also be useful, for example, if a call cannot berouted, or if an error condition arises.

[0181]FIG. 12 is a diagram of the AIN geographical call routing for anon-emergency calling service that includes the DRS for recordinginformation related to the handling of the call. Reference step numbersin FIG. 12 that are the same as those in FIG. 4 represent the sameactivity as in FIG. 4. FIG. 12 shows additional steps S20 and S22representing the DRS function. As shown in FIG. 12, whenever a call tothe non-emergency number cannot be routed to a routing telephone number,i.e. the call is routed to a default announcement and terminated,information related to the call is gathered and recorded by the DRS instep S22. Also, when the call can be routed to a routing telephonenumber, call related information is recorded by the DRS in step S20.

[0182] A call disposition will be determined by the ISCP based on thehandling of each call to the non-emergency number. The call dispositionwill be sent to the DRS. Some exemplary call dispositions are shown inTable 2. TABLE 2 NUMBER DISPOSITION 1 Call routed to the 311 answerpoint without accessing Zip Code Table 2 No CPN delivered 3 CPNdelivered, but not in Zip Code Table 4 CPN delivered, CPN in Zip CodeTable, but an associated Zip code is not in Zip Code Table 5 Time-outcondition 6 Return Error message 7 SCCP routing error 8 SPC not in SPCTable - Call originating from a subscriber that is not in the customer'sdefined service area, or error in SPC Table 9 No RTN in SPC Table 10  NoRTN in Zip Code Table - Call originating from a subscriber that is notin the customer's defined service area, or error in Zip Code Table 11 Call routed to the RTN answer point after accessing Zip Code Table

[0183] Call disposition 1 occurs after the “Yes” branch of step S10.Call disposition 2 occurs after the “No” branch of step S12. Calldisposition 3 occurs after exiting step S14 if the CPN is not found inthe Zip Code Table. Call disposition 4 occurs after the “No” branch ofstep S16. Call dispositions 5, 6 or 7 may occur after exiting step S14.The SCCP is part of the SS7 protocol that provides communication betweensignaling nodes by adding circuit and routing information to thesignaling message. Call disposition 8 occurs after the “No” branch ofstep S6. Call disposition 9 occurs after the “No” branch of step S10.Call disposition 10 occurs after the “No” branch of step S19. Calldisposition 11 occurs after the “Yes” branch of step S19.

[0184] The disposition of each call will be sent to the DRS andrecorded. The recorded dispositions will be monitored by the serviceprovider to identify any problems with the system and for serviceassurance to subscribers.

[0185] 10. Interactions with Other AIN Type Services

[0186] The service provider may provide the geographical non-emergencycall routing service system to a subscriber in area that is serviced byanother AIN type service. This AIN type service may be provided by a LSPand consist of, for example, the LSP receiving operator, directoryassistance, and local calls on their own network. The LSP may elect toreceive some or all of these type calls on the network provided by thenon-emergency call routing service system provided by the serviceprovider.

[0187] If the LSP elects to receive not to receive local calls, i.e.these calls are processed by the non-emergency call routing servicesystem, calls to the 311 number would generate a trigger, and the callswould be processed and routed by the non-emergency call routing servicesystem as usual. If, however, the LSP elects to receive and processlocal calls itself, calls to the 311 number would be received by thenon-emergency call routing service system and routed to the LSP via theLSP's own network. For this situation, no trigger would be generated,and it is the responsibility of the LSP to properly route the 311 call.

[0188] The non-emergency call routing service system according to thepresent invention also supports Disaster Routing Service. This is anintelligent call forwarding type of service. For example, if a policestation had no one available to answer calls to its numbers because ofsome disaster or other situation, the police station could activate theDisaster Routing Service and then all calls made to the normal telephonenumber of the police station would be forwarded to another location. Aservice such as this can be supported for the 311 non-emergency number.If a call is placed to the 311 number, processing occurs as normal, andcall routing information is sent back to the SSP. At the SSP, thereceived RTN would cause another trigger in the SSP, and cause the SSPto forward the call to another number accordingly.

[0189] The non-emergency call routing service system according to thepresent invention also supports Local Number Portability (LNP). This AINbased service, mandated by the FCC, provides the ability of users oftelecommunications services to retain, at the same location, existingtelephone numbers when switching from one service provider to another.If a call is placed to the 311 number, a trigger would be generated andthe call processed normally. After the RTN is sent to the originatingSSP, normal LNP service call processing would occur.

[0190] It is noted that the foregoing examples have been provided merelyfor the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed aslimiting of the present invention. While the present invention has beendescribed with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is understoodthat the words which have been used herein are words of description andillustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made,within the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated and asamended, without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention in its aspects. Although the present invention has beendescribed herein with reference to particular means, materials andembodiments, the present invention is not intended to be limited to theparticulars disclosed herein; rather, the present invention extends toall functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as arewithin the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A communications system for routing calls basedon a location of a calling party, said system comprising: a processorthat determines routing of a call placed by a calling party using one ofa plurality of call origination devices that are operatively connectedto a switching device that is operatively connected to the processor,the call being placed to a destination corresponding to a service havinga service area, the switching device servicing calls placed from callorigination devices located within the service area and calls placedfrom call origination devices located outside the service area, theprocessor determining whether the calling party is within the servicearea, and the processor instructing the switching device to route thecall to the destination based upon the processor determining that thecalling party is within the service area; wherein the switching deviceroutes the call to the destination only when the processor determinesthat the calling party is within the service area.
 2. The systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the call is received by the switchingdevice from another switching device.
 3. The system according to claim2, wherein the processor determines whether the other switching deviceis within the service area based upon a signaling point code associatedwith the other switching device.
 4. The system according to claim 1,further comprising a report generator that generates reports based theprocessing of the call.
 5. The system according to claim 1, wherein theservice area is defined by a geographic boundary.
 6. The systemaccording to claim 5, wherein the service comprises a non-emergencycalling service.
 7. The system according to claim 1, further comprisinga memory apparatus that stores information used by the processor todetermine whether the calling party is within the service area.
 8. Thesystem according to claim 7, wherein the information used by theprocessor comprises location information of the calling party.
 9. Thesystem according to claim 8, wherein the location information compriseszip code information.
 10. The system according to claim 7, wherein theinformation used by the processor comprises location information of anintermediate switching device that services calls placed from callorigination devices within the service area, the location informationindicating that the intermediate switching device services only callorigination devices within the service area.
 11. A method for routingcalls based on a location of a calling party, said method comprising:receiving, at a switching device, a call placed by a calling party usingone of a plurality of call origination devices that are operativelyconnected to the switching device, the call being placed to adestination corresponding to a service having a service area, theswitching device servicing calls placed from call origination deviceslocated within the service area and calls placed from call originationdevices located outside the service area; ascertaining, at a processoroperatively connected to the switching device, whether the calling partyis within the service area; determining, in response to receiving thecall, the routing of the call at the processor, and routing the call tothe destination only when the processor ascertains that the callingparty is within the service area.
 12. The method according to claim 11,wherein the call is received by the switching device from anotherswitching device.
 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein theprocessor determines whether the other switching device is within theservice area based upon a signaling point code associated with the otherswitching device.
 14. The method according to claim 11, furthercomprising generating a report based on the processing of the call. 15.The method according to claim 11, further comprising defining theservice area by a geographic boundary.
 16. The method according to claim15, wherein the service comprises a non-emergency calling service. 17.The method according to claim 11, further comprising storing, at amemory apparatus, information used by the processor to determine whetherthe calling party is within the service area.
 18. The method accordingto claim 17, wherein the information used by the processor compriseslocation information of the calling party.
 19. The method according toclaim 18, wherein the location information comprises zip codeinformation.
 20. The method according to claim 17, wherein theinformation used by the processor comprises location information of anintermediate switching device that services calls placed from callorigination devices within the service area, the location informationindicating that the intermediate switching device services only callorigination devices within the service area.